Why should you update your Dentist with changes to your medical history? Why does the dentist need to know about your hospitalizations, medications, allergies, and other personal medical problems?
After all, having a dental cleaning or a filling is not a big deal, right?
The answer may not be as simple as you think. Most dental treatment is quite uneventful. However, sometimes your health condition and medications can influence the way your dental treatment needs to be provided, and require your dentist to make certain changes to help avoid potential problems. What might seem like a small thing could be really important.
Our team of health professionals want to provide
the best possible treatment for you, as safely as possible.
Here are a few examples.
- If dental procedures might induce bleeding we need to know that your blood will clot normally. Blood clotting can be affected by many conditions, such as liver disease, medications, including aspirin, and even many herbal preparations can interfere with normal blood clotting.
- Your dentist relies on a healthy immune system to help fight infections. Some conditions like diabetes, and some medications like steroids, reduce the effectiveness of your immune system.
- Many patients need to take preventive antibiotics before certain dental procedures are performed. For example, some patients with a heart murmur, or an artificial hip or knee, may need to take an antibiotic prior to certain treatments to help prevent a serious infection from occurring.
All of the information on your medical history questionnaire is kept strictly private, and is protected by doctor-patient confidentiality. It will not be shared with anyone outside our office without your permission.
As you can see, your medical health and your dental health are closely linked. We are partners, working together to provide you with the best possible dental care. That is why it is so important to carefully and thoroughly answer all the questions on the medical history questionnaire and to inform us of any changes to your medical history. Each question is there for a reason. If you do not understand any question, or you are not sure about the answer to any question, just ask your dentist.
When it comes to your medical history, tell your dentist everything!
Our office offers appointments throughout the week including evenings, Saturdays and Sundays (by appointment as days and times vary). We always welcome ne patients, emergencies and offer free consultations. And we rely on your referrals for our growth.
Our dentists provide a full range of treatment all under one roof to minimize the need for outside referrals. Some of the treatment we provide includes the full service and placement of dental implants, root canal therapy, wisdom tooth surgery, sedation, invisalign orthodontics, and cosmetic treatments. Most importantly, our preventive dental care program aims to reduce the risk of you and your family requiring more invasive and costly treatment.
Our office is located in the heart of Thornhill in Vaughan. Call today to schedule your appointment.
